After a firm opening, the benchmark Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex turned volatile to slip by 13.22 points on bouts of profit- booking in key banking, metal, FMCG and oil & gas sectors as caution prevailed over the trading sentiment ahead of key macro datas later on Thursday.
However, buying in realty, auto , consumer durables, capital goods, power, healthcare, IT and Teck segments along with shares of MidCap and SmallCap companies somewhat cushioned the momentum.
Lower Asian cues and caution ahead of key IIP and retail inflation data to be released by government later on Thursday led to range-bound trade, a broker said.
Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors sold shares worth a net Rs 371.27 crore on Wednesday, as per provisional data.
The Sensex opened higher at 28,650.25 and surged to 28,685.88 before declining to 28,456.71 and was quoting at 28,520.75 at 10:50 am, showing a loss of 13.22 points, or 0.05 per cent from its last close.
However, the CNX 50-share Nifty were trading marginally higher by 4.95 points, or 0.06 per cent to trade at 8,632.55 at 10:50 am.
Major losers were ITC (1.33 per cent), Bharti Airtel (1.33 per cent), SBIN (1.12 per cent), Coal India (1.01 per cent) and SSLT (0.91 per cent).
While the gainers were Maruti (2.12 per cent), Hindalco (2.10 per cent), Dr Reddy’s (1.89 per cent), HeroMotoCorp (1.70 per cent) and GAIL (1.43 per cent).
Asian stocks traded lower as markets went on caution over the ongoing Greek debt negotiations amid conflicting headlines on progress in the talks.
Key indices in China, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, and South Korea were down 0.04 pct to 0.75 per cent.
Key indices in Hong Kong and Japan rose 0.55 pct to 1.78 per cent.
The BSE Sensex was trading 96.57 points lower at 28,437.40 at 12:09 pm. On similar lines, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) index Nifty was trading at 8,605.50, 21.90 lower at the same time.